Family of Utah soccer referee who died holds vigil

Updated 10:46 pm, Sunday, May 5, 2013

FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013 file photo, Jose Lopez points to an undated photo of Riccardo Portillo, center, his brother-in-law, following a news conference , at Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, Utah. Portillo, a 46-year-old soccer referee who was punched by a teenage player during a game and later slipped into a coma died Saturday night, May 4, 2013, police said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013 file photo, Jose Lopez points...

CORRECTS SPELLING OF VICTIM'S FIRST NAME TO RICARDO INSTEAD OF RICCARDO - FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013 file photo, Jose Lopez points to an undated photo of Ricardo Portillo, center, his brother-in-law, following a news conference, at Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, Utah. Portillo, a 46-year-old soccer referee who was punched by a teenage player during a game and later slipped into a coma died Saturday night, May 4, 2013, police said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF VICTIM'S FIRST NAME TO RICARDO INSTEAD OF...

CORRECTS SPELLING OF VICTIM'S FIRST NAME TO RICARDO INSTEAD OF RICCARDO - FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013 file photo, Jose Lopez points to an undated photo of Ricardo Portillo, center, his brother-in-law, following a news conference, at Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, Utah. Portillo, a 46-year-old soccer referee who was punched by a teenage player during a game and later slipped into a coma died Saturday night, May 4, 2013, police said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF VICTIM'S FIRST NAME TO RICARDO INSTEAD OF...

FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2013 file photo, Jose Lopez points to an undated photo of Ricardo Portillo, center, his brother-in-law, following a news conference, at Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, Utah. Portillo, a 46-year-old soccer referee who was punched by a teenage player during a game and later slipped into a coma died Saturday night, May 4, 2013, police said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

SALT LAKE CITY — The family of a Utah soccer referee who died after being punched by a teenager player called on soccer players worldwide to respect referees to prevent the same thing happening to somebody else.

Family and friends of 46-year-old Ricardo Portillo gathered at his house Sunday for a vigil. They wore white shirts and held signs that said, "In Loving memory of Ricky." A picture of him raising his arms in victory was on a table surrounded by flowers and candles.

Police have accused a 17-year-old player in a recreational soccer league of punching Portillo after he called a foul on him and issued him a yellow card. Portillo died Saturday after a week in a coma.

His oldest daughter, Johana Portillo, said Sunday that she hopes to forgive the teenager someday but that it's still too soon.